CE’s Top 10 Female EDM Vocalists
One of the most widely-known pieces of Greek mythology is that of the siren, a species of half-human, half-bird women who lured men to their death using only their voices. Their haunting, ethereal songs were so beautiful that it drove those who heard it mad, and was said to speak directly to what your heart wanted more than anything. Clearly, the Greeks were on to something, as women’s voices tend to produce an eye-watering array of notes and harmonies, and are often unmatched in terms of vocal power.
Women exist on another level when it comes to their singing, elevating even the most basic of beats into heart-melting tunes. Their prowess is especially coveted among the dance music community, and it’s common to hear stunning female vocalists and female samples layered over tracks for moments that make your arm hairs stand on end. No genre is without its lady powerhouses: house, techno, bass, filthy dubstep, and glitch hop all have chart-shattering tracks with features by talented women. It’s also fairly standard to see women brought up onstage at live sets for vocal accompaniment, and even female rappers are finally leveling out the mainstream playing field.
And yet, despite how coveted these alluring voices are, too many women are left in the dust, without artist credit or proper financial compensation, by record labels and male producers. The stage is one of the few places where oppressed women over centuries could share the spotlight and tell their story, but what happens after studio time ends? How many cases of women being shut out, disrespected, underpaid, and left little to no control over their final product have we heard? One only has to look at the wildly-discussed Free Britney documentary that premiered recently to understand how backwards behind the scenes can be. Women of all races, ages, and nationalities have gifted us their voices over and over again, only to have them snatched away for power and capitalist gain.
But not anymore.
As we wrap up another Women’s History Month, let’s remember to look beyond the surface and make sure these contributors to music are not suffocated, but given the creative space and freedom to spread their talents and reach their ambitions without inhibition. Women in music have long had to deal with sleazy bosses, poor working conditions, and so much more–and they’ve had enough. Consider this a call to action, a move to support organic and women-owned record labels, as well as women producers, vocalists, musicians, and all the industry professionals making the grassroots changes that are so desperately needed. As listeners, what we consume matters, and the ever-growing feminist movement is dependent on those who support it.
Over the course of March, the CE staff attempted the harrowing task of narrowing down the Top Female Commercial Producers, Top Underground Bass Producers, and Top Business Women. To round out this four-part series dedicated to spotlighting some incredible women in the music industry, we now present the final piece of the puzzle in honor of Women’s Month. Without further ado, here are Conscious Electronic‘s Top 10 Female Vocalists in EDM.
Words by Katie Miller.
Singer-Songwriter Zoë Johnston has spent the last 20 years captivating listeners with her hauntingly beautiful lyrics and uniquely recognize-able voice. Over the years she has lent her expertise to a multitude of projects spanning all genres, and become a household name for music lovers alike.
Hailing from Nottingham, England this prolific songstress has performed with a multitude of groups, as well as releasing an eagerly anticipated solo album that was many years in the making. Johnston made her singing debut on UK electronica duo Neon Heights debut album A View From the Heights under the alias Zed J, astonishing critics with her otherworldly voice. She continued on to collaborate with numerous other groups over the years including Bent, Faithless, and Delirium. In 2004 she released a solo album composed of rough home recordings under the name Happenstances, which featured the original version of her wildly popular single with Faithless “Crazy English Summer.”
While not an official member, Zoë’s long-time collaboration with trance group Above & Beyond makes it hard to separate the two artistic entities. After Jono Grant made contact with Zoë through a family member in 2004, she separately wrote and recorded their first track together, “No One On Earth,” which went on to be named Armin Van Buuren’s tune of the year. The musical chemistry between the 4 was undeniable and she has since written and performed on 4 more albums alongside the trio, which have all received widespread praise. Some of her most notable work with Above & Beyond includes “Good For Me,” “Alchemy,” Love Is Not Enough,” and “We’re All We Need.”
Zoë Johnston is one of those artists that you only come across every couple of generations, a brilliant lyricist with the voice of an angel. Through emotion filled stories she shares pieces of her heart and has in turn captured ours, we are ever looking forward to hearing what this powerful woman gifts the world of music next.
Words by Chandler Hyatt.
Nevve is an incredibly talented group of female songwriters and vocalists who are located in Los Angeles, California. While it started off in 2016 as a solo project by Keeley Bumford, they eventually expanded in 2019 to include other vocalists Lindsay Vinarsky, Michelle Buzz, and Julia Thompson. For a while, the identity of the group was a mystery, and while fans finally know who they are, the ladies have never publicly made an appearance together or officially announced themselves.
These women have been featured on countless tracks with renowned artists like Illenium, Elephante, Big Gigantic DROLOE, Seven Lions, pluko, Flux Pavillion, and many more. As a widely renowned creative force within the industry, they’ve produced countless beautiful accompaniments and subsequently were signed over to Monstercat, JennyMusic, and bitbird.
The group has accumulated other talents, including songwriters and mixers who have worked under some of the best and biggest names in music, but the talent truly lies within it’s singers. They primarily work within electronic and pop genres, contributing dance-floor ready anthems and hair-raising harmonies to already iconic songs.
While they’re still relatively fresh faces in the scene, they’ve quickly surrounded themselves in intrigue and built a collective of listeners. Whatever your EDM genre of choice is, they’ve probably got a hit song coming your way soon.
Words by Elijah Matson.
LIGHTS is a Canadian songwriter and vocalist whose well-established career has been highlighted by numerous releases, collaborations, and interesting nontraditional multi-media projects. While she has won three Juno Awards, and made live appearances on the show, her career has shown that it is the love and adoration of music itself that drives LIGHTS to create and perform.
Born in Northern Ontario, as Valerie Proxleitner, it was her parents who taught her the guitar, and that was all that was needed to begin down a creative path. It was in this learning phase that she recognized that music has the power to put one at peace–a very powerful thing, and a revelation for the young musician. Her mission, to create and discover that power for herself, has been what her career has been about as it developed and evolved.
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